King's Kung-Fu& Tai Chi

Japanese symbol for “dig”

Romaji: horu
to dig; to excavate; to hollow

In Japanese, dig is , read (horu).

Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.

Meanings

  1. v5r, vt to dig; to excavate; to hollow
  2. v5r, vt to delve into
  3. v5r, vt to dig up (vegetables, treasure, etc.); to mine (coal, ore, etc.)
  4. v5r, vt to top; to take the active role in anal sex (with another man)

Kanji and stroke order

dig, delve, excavate
on: クツ
kun: ほ.る
11 strokes · JLPT 2

Other Japanese words for “dig”

WordReadingMeaning
きる kiruto dig (a groove); to cut (a stencil, on a mimeograph)
つっこみ tsukkomiquip; gibe; jab
あてつけ atetsukesomething done out of spite; snide remark; insinuation
はっくつちょうさ hakkutsuchousaexcavation (usu. archeological); dig
さいがいずじょうくんれん saigaizujoukunrendisaster simulation exercise; disaster imagination game; DIG

Related words

Words that share a kanji.

WordReadingMeaning
はっくつ hakkutsuexcavation; exhumation; digging up
さいくつ saikutsumining; digging; working (a mine)
くっさく kussakudigging out; excavation
とうくつ toukutsuillegal digging; illegal mining; grave robbing
しくつ shikutsuprospecting; trial digging

See also: Chinese symbol for “dig”.

Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.

Last posts

  1. Using a Tsuba on Your Bokken for Partner Practice
  2. How Much Should You Spend on a Wooden Practice Sword
  3. How Long Should a Bokken Be for Your Height
  4. Red Oak vs White Oak for Bokken Which Wood Wins
  5. Best Bokken for Beginners: Choosing Your First Training Sword
  6. Best Escrima Sticks for Students Choosing Your First Pair
  7. Essential Accessories for Your First Pair of Escrima Sticks
  8. Best Escrima Sticks for Your First Seminar
  9. Best Canes for Cane-Fu and Hapkido Training
  10. Which Rattan Sticks Have the Most Nodes for Durability